Westerham
Westerham is a community as well as civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England, located 5 miles (8 kilometres) west of Sevenoaks. It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was stated in the Domesday Book in a Norman form, Oistreham (contrast Ouistreham in Normandy, Oistreham in 1086). Ham is Old English for a town or homestead, therefore Westerham implies a western homestead. The River Darent moves with the town, and formerly powered three watermills. Westerham was residence to the Black Eagle Brewery, which was taken over by Taylor Walker & Co in the 1950s, becoming part of Ind Coope in 1959 as well as enclosing 1965. Yeast from the brewery was maintained at the National Collection of Yeast Cultures and also is currently used by the present day Westerham Brewery which was developed in 2004 by Robert Wicks. The brewery produces a series of ales, consisting of Westerham British Bulldog. Westerham was home to Crayford Engineering, a successful vehicle conversion firm, from 1962 to the 1980s, working from a workshop at Squerryes Mede.
